Cloth-laying machine.



1. H. CUTTER. CLOTH LAYING MACHINE.

APPLTCATION FILED DEC-5| I9I6.

1 ,246,558. Patented MW. 13, 1917.

In en?? Zines/7! [uZZEr by MW 6M UNITED ST,

Tas rarer OFFICE.

JAMES H. CUTTER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR ONE-HALF 'I'O CHARLES C SCHNEIDER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CLOTH-LAYING ,M 'HINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

Application filed December 6, 1916. Serial No. 135,472.

being had to the accompanylng drawings,-

forming a part hereof.

The objects of my invention are to con struct a machine to provide means for dis-:

tributing cloth in layers on a table surface;

to make a device which can be used. with cloth of different widths with a minimum of effort; to construct a cloth-laying machine which shall be simple in construction and easily and cheaply manufactured. A more specific object is to supply means for securing the last layer of the cloth to the table surface while said layer is being laid and folded; and to provide facile means for removing the rod or member to which each layer is secured while being formed and laid, when its useful function has been performed;

As a further object, means are provided for maintaining the final rolls over which the cloth passes in a horizontal plane as this conduces to ease of operation and perfection of work.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention has relation to certain novel features of construction and operation, ex-- amples of which are described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is atop plan view.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a track or run way provided with means for making the carriage portion of my device operative.

Fig. 4: is a front elevation of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of two standards, and a rod used to securely hold the cloth atthe end of the working table while it is being folded toform the crease.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged frontelevation'of Fig. I

Fig. 7 is a perspective of the rodshown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig, 8 is an enlarged fragmental detail BlGVZLtIOII of the wheel 38 and the rod 36. Referring to these figures, numeral 8 designates a table; 9 a carriage which is mounted on wheels 10, which run on tracks 11 which are firmly secured along the sides of the top of table 8. Carriage 9 is composed of two frames 12 and 13. which are firmly held equally spaced apart for their entire lengths, by the telescoping rods lt-and 15and others not shown.

The frames 12 and 13 are duplicates and have formed integral with themselves three posts 16-17 and 18. Post 17 has a journal 19 at its upper .extremity in which the telescoping rod 14 is rotatively secured. Post 18 has a journal 20 at its upper end to which are rotatively secured the lugs 21, to which in turn are rotatively secured the telescopmg rods 22. Post 16 has a split journal 23 at its upper extremity. 24 designates bars secured to the rod 15, parallel to the frames 12 and 13.

25 designates a rod, rotatively secured to.

the frame 12 at 26. 27 designates a rod, rotatively secured to the frame 12 at 28. The extremities of the rods 25 and 27 are rotatively secured to the angle iron 29 at 30 and 31respectively. To the horizontal portion of angle iron 29 are rotatively secured the telescoping rods 32 and 33.

' The lengths of the rods 252729 are so proportioned relatively and the points of ro-' tation 26'2830 and 31 so positioned that if the rod-25 is rotated upward or down-- ward around the point of rotation 26, the telescoping rods 32 and 33 always remain in likehorizontal planes. --This link mechanism that has just been described is duplicated on frame 13, but is not shown in Fig. 1 for purposes of simplicity; 7 7

To the frame 9, at34 is firmly secured the cylinder 35 '36 designates a rod passing through cylinder 35 and rotatively secured at its upper'end to rod 25 at '37. To the lower extremity of rod 36 is rotatively secured wheel 38. It will be readily discernible' that vertical motion imparted to rod 36 will be transmitted to the telescoping rods 32 and 33. I

To the side of the table at points 39, spaced apart therefrom as shown in Flg. 3 are firmly secured the strips 40 which are bent in such a conformation as to be made of two inclined planes one on each side of a horizontal portion forming the middle as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. 41 designates a strip secured to the table 8 at 42 and bent at its inner end as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

The cloth to be laid and folded is placed on the bars 24, and pulled over the rod 14, betweenthe rods 22 and between the rods 32 and 33 and fastened securely to the table end as shown by the dash line in Fig. 2.

As the carriage is rolled to the left in Fig. 2 on its tracks the cloth will be spread over the path traversed by the carriage. hen the carriage has passed over the full length of the path on which cloth is to be laid, the cloth must be held secure while the carriage is moved to the other end of the track laying another layer of cloth; 2'. 0., the cloth must be folded at each end and the creased end of the topmost layer of cloth must be held secure.

The remainder of the mechanism affords means for the accomplishment of this purose.

At the ends of the carriage travel at each corner of the table 8 are firmly secured standards 43 and 44; 45 designates the rods that are placed between the cloth, at each end, to form the crease and to secure the end of the cloth to the table temporarily. One rod is used at each end of the pile of cloth that is being laid. As fast as a new layer is laid the rods are withdrawn and placed in the crease of the next superimposed succeeding layer.

Standards 43 and 44 have teeth 46 and 47 formed integral therewith, the space be tween the teeth 46 of standards 43 being slightly greater than the thickness of rod 45, so as to permit of easily sliding rod 45 between said teeth, when the rod is supported on its flat side. The space between teeth 47 is slightly greater than the width of rod 45, so as to permit of easily sliding rod 45, when standing on its shortest side, between said teeth.

Standard 44 is firmly secured by means of its base 48 to the top of the table 8 with its teeth parallel to the carriage track and facing inward.

Standard 43 is placed similarly to standard 44 but is rotatively secured to its base 49.

lVhen cloth is being held by the rod 45, it must'not be ermittedt turn, but when it is desired to remove said rod it is desirable that the rod be turned to relieve the" tension. These standards together with their teeth provide means for accomplishing this result When standard 43 is in a position parallel to standard 44 and rod '45 is in position, and the cloth is being stretched taut around the rod the restricted space between the teeth 46 prevents rod 45 from turning. To turn the rod, relieve the tension in the cloth and hence easily remove it, standard 43 is rotated on its base 49 until the rod 45 is no longer engaged between the teeth 46.

The cloth must be raised at each end of its path above the standards 43 and 44 so that -the rod 45 can be placed in position. This is accomplished automatically by my link motion, etc., previously described. My modus opercmclz' is as follows Assume the carriage to start at the left of the strip 40, Fig. 2 and to move in the direction of the arrow; the wheel 38 of the rod 36 comes in contact with the incline plane of the strip 40 pushes the rod 36 and hence the rod 25, and therefore the rods 32 and 33 upward, thus lifting the rods 32 and 33 above the standards 43 or 44.

' lVhen the wheel 38 reaches the horizontal portion of strip 40 it rolls along and then rolls down the incline plane on the other side, when rods 32 and 33 are again lowered having now passed over the standards 43.

' Still proceeding in the direction of the arrow, the incline plane 41 is reached, when the rods 32 and 3 3 are again raised to pass over the standards 44.

The carriage can be operated mechanically as well as manually. hen cloth on a bolt is to be laid and folded, the bolt is rotati vely secured to the split journal 23, and the operation proceeds as before.

lVhat I claim and mean to secure by Letters Patent is i 1. In combination with a carriage, a table with tracks to support and guide said carriage mounted on said tracks, two standards for cloth mounted on said table, said standards having teeth formed integral therewith, a. rod for creasing cloth, said rod positioned in the path of said carriage, across said tracks, the space between the teeth of one of said standards being equal to the width of said rod, and the space between the teeth of the other of said standards equal to the thickness of said rod, to

permit a rotation of said rod only when it is out of engagement with one of said standards, said rod selectively positioned between the teeth of said standards.

2. In combination with a carriage, a table with tracks to support and guide said carriage, said carriage mounted on said tracks, two standards for securing cloth mounted on said table, one rotatively movable and the other stationary; said standards having teeth formed integral therewith, a rod for creasing cloth, said rod positioned in the path of said carriage, across said tracks, the space between the teeth of one of said standards,-being equal to the width of saidrod and the space between the teeth of the other of said standards equal to the thickness of said rod, to permit a rotation of said rod only hen it is out of engagement with one of said standards, said rod selectively positioned between the teeth of said standards.

3. In combination with a carriage, a table with tracks to support and guide said carriage, said carriage mounted on said tracks, two standards for securing cloth, at one end of the carriage travel, one rotatively andthe other stationarily mounted, a cloth creasing rod, said rod positioned in the path of said carriage across said tracks, said rod supported on corresponding teeth of said standards so that when the carriage reaches one end of its travel on said table, the cloth is pulled over said cloth creasing rod and stretched taut, while said rod is lying fiat, and so that when the carriage reaches the opposite end of its travel, said rod may be removed by turning the rod between the teeth of one of said standards on its edge and rotating the other standard out of engagement with said rod, thereby loosening the cloth around said rod, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES H. CUTTER.

Witnesses:

HAZEL MUELLER, WILLIAM MoK. CANNON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

, Washington, D. G. 

